Mafarrakh d'afrukh
by Casa Circe
Summary: Sequel to Leminkaiya. A new day was dawning on the Lonely Mountain. But the paths that lie ahead of both the King and the Dragonslayer will test them in ways they never expect.
1. Chapter 1

_**Mafarrakh d'afrukh**_

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in the story is my precious.

NOTE: _Welcome to the official sequel to Leminkaiya and The Road Ahead!_

 _I have had this story mapped out in my mind for the past year but I've been too busy to write it. I finally pushed myself to post this first chapter today, the anniversary of the last chapter of Leminkaiya._

 _If everything goes according to plan, this could be as long as Leminkaiya so please bear with me. And I have less free time nowadays so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. But I am determined to see this story through so don't worry about that._

 _Enjoy!_

 **CHAPTER ONE**

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 _"We honor the fallen for their courage and strength."_

 _It was a day of mourning._

 _A tomb had been laid out within the Lonely Mountain, for one of its fallen children._

 _The company of dwarves gathered forlornly in silence, their heads bowed in grief. Bilbo Baggins stood beside them, sobbing softly. They cared not who saw them weep since their pain was too great to contain._

 _Some could barely look at the remains of their comrade, unable to face the truth of his passing. They had all fought together for so long that they never expected any one of their company to fall. Especially not him._

 _In the glow of torchlight, he almost looked like they were merely in some deep slumber. But this was not so._

 _The firebender stood as still as stone, her hands at her sides, both fists clenched, trying to contain her sorrow. She had not come this far only to watch another massacre take place. She had not survived so much only to lose everything._

 _She refused to accept what had happened even if the evidence was before her. In all this, she somehow blamed herself. She should have protected him better. She had not been strong enough._

 _"Our brave warrior. Our noble kinsman."_

 _Not this, she told herself, not again._

 _"Our great king."_

 _._

 _._

 _._

Ainara woke with a start.

She was alone in her bedchamber in Erebor. A cool breeze blew through her window and she noticed that it was nearly dawn. She could hear some faint notes of birdsong. The world outside was beginning to come alive.

The firebender sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of that terrible dream. But some faint traces remained, some lingering painful images. She was struck by an inexplicable fear.

Though her rational mind told her it had all been part of a nightmare, she needed to be convinced that none of it was real. All of a sudden, she needed to know that it had all been truly a dream.

She got dressed quickly and left her chamber. The halls of the mountain were silent as many of its current inhabitants were still in bed and not plagued by vivid nightmares. But Ainara knew that it would not be long before she heard some dwarves stirring from their slumber and commencing the day's activities.

She could have waited for that but she felt restless. She began wandering around, trying to calm herself after that disconcerting vision.

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Several weeks had passed since the demise of Smaug and the Battle of the Five Armies. The dwarves had begun making repairs to parts of the Lonely Mountain that the dragon had destroyed and they had also begun moving into their old kingdom.

After many festive celebrations, Bilbo Baggins felt that his adventure was over for the moment and that he needed to return to the comfort and familiarity of Bag End. While he was sorry to leave his friends, he assured them that he would come back to visit again someday. And so the company bid farewell to their burglar.

At length, Gandalf departed as well, which came as no surprise to anyone. In fact, they had been surprised that he had stayed with them for so long. But everyone was aware that the wizard had numerous important affairs to attend to. He would be missed but he would also return when he was most needed.

And so the great work of rebuilding Erebor and Dale had commenced, and everyone proved up to the task. Every man and dwarf contributed their time and effort to constructing a new world, one free from the malice of the dragon and other foul forces.

Among those who remained in Erebor was the dragonslayer, who felt that she finally found a place where she belonged in Middle-Earth.

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Ainara wandered through the many noble halls of the mountain. When she had first tried to familiarize herself with the various structures, she had marveled at the ingenuity of dwarfish architecture. But at that moment, she was too preoccupied to admire the excellent masonry and construction of the various corridors.

She made her way to the throne room but found it empty. And though it would have been unusual for anyone to be there at that hour, she still felt a stab of worry.

She continued to wander the different halls, growing more and more frantic as everywhere she looked was deserted. Fear gripped her even as she tried to banish the visions from her nightmare.

At her most desperate moment, she stumbled upon a seemingly hidden hallway that led to a small balcony. A solitary figure stood there gazing at the impressive view before him.

Ainara approached him carefully and when she was absolutely certain of his identity, she heaved a huge sigh of relief, and her pounding heart began to calm down.

Thorin turned to look at her in surprise.

"What brings you here at this hour?" he asked.

"Forgive my intrusion," the firebender replied with some embarrassment, "I simply stumbled upon this part of the mountain."

"You are not intruding," Thorin reassured her, "Why don't you join me? The view from here is truly breathtaking."

Ainara nodded and approached the dwarf. She immediately understood why he had chosen such a specific vantage point. One had a truly spectacular view of the lands beyond the mountain.

"It seems you've arrived at the perfect moment," Thorin remarked as the two of them watched the dawn break on the land, the spread of sunlight cloaking the darkness.

"It's beautiful," Ainara said in awe.

Thorin nodded. After gazing at the dawn in silence, the dwarf looked at his companion and noticed the gravity of her expression.

"Is something troubling you?" he asked with concern.

Ainara immediately remembered why she had been looking for him.

"It seems foolish now," she began, "but I had such a terrible dream."

Seeing that he was listening intently, she sighed before continuing.

"I was standing with Bilbo and the rest of the company, before a tomb that had been laid out," she said somberly, taking a deep breath before finally saying, "yours."

If he was surprised or disturbed by this revelation, Thorin did not show it. Instead, he put his hand on Ainara's shoulder reassuringly.

"But now you know that it was naught but a dream," the dwarf said with a smile.

Ainara nodded gratefully.

"But I understand why such a nightmare would cause you grief," Thorin went on,"I take it, this isn't the first dream of this kind you have had."

"It isn't," Ainara replied, "for years I would dream of that final battle in the Fire Nation, when all my comrades were viciously slaughtered by their own people. I may have survived that battle but I can never forget the horrors I had seen. And it wasn't a dream so much as a memory, a very painful one."

Thorin nodded sympathetically.

"But ever since I joined your company and embarked on the quest to slay the dragon," the firebender continued, "these dreams occurred less frequently, and it seemed like I had somehow begun to heal."

"And so you have," Thorin told her, "and as you have helped us reclaim what is ours, so we will always be here to help you when you need us."

"Thank you," Ainara said with a smile, "I'm just glad that for once, this was just a dream and not a memory at all. I do not think I will ever be ready to bury the King Under the Mountain. So you had better make certain that it will not come to pass."

"I shall try my best," Thorin replied earnestly.

They nodded to each other before turning to face the dawn once more, both steeling themselves for what lay ahead.

While her nightmare had left her rattled, Ainara felt her strength renewed after spending this moment with Thorin. She took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and remembered how grateful she was to be standing there at the dawn of another new day.

She had made her peace with the past. She was ready for the next chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Mafarrukh d'afrukh_**

Disclaimer: I do not own either "The Hobbit" or "Avatar: The Last Airbender" but the wonderful lady firebender in this story is my precious.

NOTE: _I can't believe it's been a year since I posted this story. I've been caught up in so many other things so I've neglected this a bit. I can't even promise that I'll have the next chapter up soon. The best I can say is I'll make sure it won't take another year until I update this story. Still so much to cover, so bear with me._

 _A happier chapter this time and one I've wanted to write for a while. I've really wanted Ainara to meet Dis and just to include Dis in the story. At least we can have a happy Durin reunion. And I also imagined that Dis' reaction to seeing Erebor again would be a similar awe and reverence that Thorin had when he first entered the door. Since Dis was neither in the books nor the movies, her characterization here is based on my own headcanons._

 _And though I ship Kiliel, I downplayed their stuff here because the story really isn't focused on them. The ship exists and is part of the story but I prefer to focus on Ainara's reactions and interaction with the characters._

 _If you're still reading this, thank you for sticking with me and this story! Enjoy the chapter and let me know what you think._

 **CHAPTER TWO**

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Erebor was on the mend.

Every day brought new light into the mountain, and life continued to flourish, effectively erasing any lingering trace of the dragon's malice. The ancient dwarf kingdom was gradually regaining its former glory as the dwarves worked industriously to rebuild it. Day by day, the ruins were cleared and sturdy new structures were erected to replaced them, some grander than the originals, as tributes to those who came before them.

All those who now resided in Erebor were growing more accustomed to having a real home and no longer needing to live as nomads. For many of the younger dwarves, the only life they had known had been one cosntantly on the road and having a permanent residence was still a novelty to them. They were also not accustomed to the comfort and stability of their new kingdom. But slowly, they were beginning to understand and appreciate what this meant to them. And though their hearts would remain restless for some time yet, they were already beginning to settle in.

More and more of Thorin's kinsmen were making the long journey to the mountain. Every day, Erebor welcomed more of Durin's people into her fold, and every new arrival was a cause for celebration among the dwarves because for each one of them who found their way back to the mountain, it was a true homecoming.

This day would be a particularly momentous one for the king and his nephews for the dwarves eagerly awaited the arrival of Thorin's sister, Dis.

They had sent word to her as soon as the great battle had been concluded and the kingdom reclaimed. And naturally, she had been eager to see her two sons and her last remaining brother. But there had been many preparations to be made and the journey had been a long one, filled with trials and perils that the remarkable dwarf overcame with the fortitude and courage that ran in her family.

And after much anticipation, the ravens brought word that Dis and her company had been sighted not far from Dale and she would be in Erebor in a day or two. At this news, Thorin, Fili, and Kili made certain that a great feast would be set and all other preparations made for her arrival. They had not seen her since they had embarked on the quest to take back Erebor and they all missed her terribly.

The two younger dwarves, in particular, were eager to show their mother the kingdom they had helped win back, her home. They both wanted her to know how hard they had fought to save Erebor, and though they knew she was always proud of them, they longed to see her face once she returned to her proper place in the dwarf kingdom.

Kili, however, had some cause for apprehension, as he wanted to introduce his mother to Tauriel. As happy as he was with this newfound love, he worried about what his mother would say. Fili assured his brother that their mother was not nearly as stern as Thorin, especially when it came to matters of the heart, but still Kili was nervous. He had written to his mother about Tauriel but he was not sure if this was enough preparation. He knew his mother was open-minded but was still uncertain about what she would say about her son together with an elf.

The dwarf's anxiety was shared by Tauriel as well, given the far from hospitable way her own people had treated Kili's kinsmen. Their union was still slightly frowned upon by some of the other dwarves and elves, though fortunately neither of them encountered any outright hostility. The elf warrior did not care much for what other people thought but she did want to make a good impression on the dwarf lady she had heard so much about, and the one whose precious rune stone she now held in her possession.

There was another person in Erebor who looked forward to meeting Dis, though not with as much trepidation as Tauriel. Ainara had heard a great deal about Thorin's sister and so was keen on speaking to her. She did not presume to have an official place among the Durins in the same way that Tauriel now had, though she had been repeatedly assured that she was as much a member of the company as anyone there.

But the dragon had been slain and the great battle won, so there were some days that Ainara felt strangely superfluous. This was not to say that anyone made her feel unwelcome, quite the contrary. And she always helped in all the reconstruction efforts of the dwarves, her firebending proving very useful with the smiths. But there were still some days when she wondered how she truly fit into this new world. During such moments of doubt, the firebender always regained her bearing when she thought of Thorin, and the way he had inspired her to undertake this quest. Whatever her status, she had chosen to stay in Erebor now, and as she watched the kingdom grow, she resolved to find her place in it.

.

.

.

.

Dis finally made her way to Erebor and her arrival was greeted with much fanfare and celebration. But before all this, she was allowed some privacy to fully take in all that was before her.

As the noble dwarf took her first steps into the halls of her fathers and forefathers, she was overwhelmed with emotion, and suddenly all the memories of her younger years seemed to flood back to her. She looked at the mountain incredulously, trying to remind herself that this was no dream, that all she and her family had longed for had finally come to pass, even after so many years. She felt her eyes well up with tears of joy.

Dis was still lost in her memories when a familiar figure approached her. She looked at him and smiled and before the other could do or say anything, Dis had engulfed him in a warm embrace.

"Brother!" she cried excitedly as she hugged him, "It's been too long."

Thorin smiled and returned his sister's gesture. "It brings me great joy to see you again, sister. Welcome to Erebor."

Dis laughed. "Always so formal, Thorin. I see you haven't changed a bit. Now where are those two sons of mine?"

Fili and Kili appeared as if summoned and ran to their mother like small children. Dis let go of her brother and then threw her arms on both of her sons, covering them in a tight embrace.

"Oh, how I've missed you!" Dis cried and suddenly, Fili and Kili felt all their longing for their mother overpower them. They knew that they were finally home.

The three dwarves held each other close, laughing and crying, all filled with the ineffable emotions that always characterized such family reunions.

Thorin smiled at them proudly but he was not allowed to keep his distance for long. His sister grabbed him and pulled him into one huge Durin hug, and he found himself laughing with his sister and nephews, his heart filled with gladness to have them all together again.

Tauriel and Ainara watched this reunion with wide smiles and teary eyes. The scene moved them beyond words, even more because they no longer had their immediate families with them. Ainara felt the familiar sting of loss as she gazed at the reunited dwarves but though some painful memories intruded, these were overpowered by the joy she felt at seeing those who had grown so important to her experience such joy. She was unspeakably happy for them and she wished for this moment to last forever.

At length, more dwarves arrived to greet their kinswoman and Dis spoke to them all excitedly. All the other members of Thorin's company were well acquainted with her and so they expressed their delight at seeing her again and she returned the gesture.

And then, to Kili's great pleasure, Dis said, "Now, where is this lovely elf-maid you were telling me all about, my son?"

Tauriel approached shyly, but all doubts and apprehensions about this meeting proved to be unfounded them. Dis smiled at the elf and welcomed her warmly, taking Tauriel's hand and pulling the stunned elf into an embrace. Kili looked on with relief and happiness, grateful for his mother's open-mindedness and generosity. In a few minutes, Tauriel had grown completely at ease with Kili's mother and the elf felt pleased to meet yet another charming dwarf. She exchanged a look of relief and amusement with Kili and it was clear that an elf had just truly become a member of the family. She later told Kili that she had never expected such a warm welcome.

This new introduction concluded, Dis looked around eagerly and called to her brother. He nodded to her and then walked over to Ainara and took her hand, and gently led her to his sister. The firebender was surprised by this gesture and felt slightly embarrassed at being presented in such a way. Overwhelmed, she stood before the beaming Dis and then,not knowing what else to do and following the custom of her people when faced with royalty, she bowed respectfully.

"It is a great honor to finally make your acquaintance, Lady Dis," Ainara said gravely.

Dis raised an eyebrow at this and then burst into laughter. Ainara looked up in confusion and found herself being pulled into a hug similar to how Tauriel had been caught unawares. Her nervousness dissipated and Ainara smiled, immediately charmed by the affectionate dwarf.

"Oh, my dear, you're even more formal than my brother," Dis exclaimed with amusement, "and that's saying something."

Thorin rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless. Kili and Fili grinned, having always known that their mother would like their firebending friend. The rest of the dwarves from the company were likewise full of smiles, nudging each other knowingly.

"I assure you I have my lighter moments," Ainara said in a more relaxed tone, "and I am just very happy to meet you."

"As am I," Dis replied amiably, "for I have heard a great deal of good things about you and I think that you and I are going to be great friends."

"I hope so," Ainara said meekly.

"Oh, I am sure of it," Dis declared in a matter of fact tone. She took the firebender by the arm companionably, "Come, I am looking forward to hearing about all your adventures."

Before joining the celebrations, Dis gazed proudly at her brother and sons. And now, there were new additions to the family and she could not be more pleased. Her joy at seeing her family again was greater than any she felt at seeing the glory of their kingdom restored. A new chapter of their lives was about to begin and it was only fitting that they stood together as they prepared to face the changes to come.


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